His Story
by thelionkingsguard
Summary: This starts out as Revelations from Eugene's point of view. But then, somehow, Eugene makes the worst decision of his life. And he believes it's the right thing to do. Will Rapunzel and Eugene ever get over his terrible mistake?
1. Prologue

_If you have read my Revelations, this chapter will ring a bell. Revelations was all done from Rapunzel's point of view. It wasn't supposed to be at first, it just happened. I was toying with another idea in my head at the time, you can find hints to that in Chapter 1 of Revelations: Telling Him. This is going to be that same chapter, but from Eugene's perspective. It's going to start the same way as Revelations, but it will change at some point. It's a bit me, trying to discover how much power an author really has. It's the same setting, the exact same conversation. But somehow, it is all going to end in a completely different way. Exciting, isn't it? Hope you enjoy this first chapter! Please review ^^_**  
>Disclaimer<strong>_: the rights to Tangled belong to Disney. Lucky them._

I was alive? How could I be alive? Never mind that, anything - *everything* - was possible with Rapunzel by my side. Now then. Something to sweep her off her feet. It had to be roguish, captivating. It had to tell her I would be there for her. Somehow.  
>"Did I ever tell you I got a thing for brunettes?" Hopefully it was the right thing to say. It seemed to be. She was so happy to hear my voice, she lost her balance in her excitement and fell on top of me. That was a good way to start my new life. And it got better with every second. Because now she was planting her lips on mine. How long had I been waiting for this moment? You'd think it would have been during the time we have spent on our little road trip. But kissing her, I realised I have been waiting for this moment all my life. I have spent all my days chasing after treasure, only to find that you can't find the real treasure. It finds you. Wait, she was pulling away. Why was she pulling away?<p>

"Eugene?"

"Hmm?" I was still flabbergasted by that kiss. It was one of the best I have ever received. Screw that. It most definitely was the best I have ever received.

"I want you to meet my parents."

"Really? I mean, I am thrilled, but this soon? … Wait, but?"

"Mother Gothel wasn't my real mother."

"She was not?" That was a strange turn of events. In the tales Rapunzel told me, it seemed as if the woman really had been keeping her prison in this tower. So I think this is supposed to get a happy reaction. Then again, she has also been Rapunzel's mother for almost all her life, for all her life as far as she can remember. This had to be handled delicately.

"No."

"That's good right? It's not like she did her best by you."

"I know. And I even found out who my real parents are!" Oh-hooo. Now that most definitely was a good thing. We weren't going to trample all over the world on a quest to find her parents it seemed. My feet will be very happy to hear that. Kidding! Kidding. Of course I am happy that Rapunzel found her parents. That's big. Great, even!

"Really? Rapunzel, that's amazing! When did you know?"

"Well, you know, when I thought you had abandoned me and took off with the crown?" Ouch. That one hurt. I tried to keep still under it, but it must have shown on my face, because the next thing that she said was:

"I know it wasn't your doing! You wouldn't have come back if it was. But you did!" I really hated myself for making her believe I had left her. How could I have been so stupid as to believe that the Stabbington Brothers wouldn't have some trick up their sleeves? I betrayed them, for pity's sake! Any thief would want to get back at me for something like that. And I thought I could just walk away? How stupid can you be? I can't begin to imagine what that must've done to Rapunzel. Especially after our time on the lake. Aaargh! How thick can one man be? Okay. Breathe in. Out. That's it. Now then. Her parents.

"Just… Just please continue."

"Okay. Well, Gothel showed up."

"Huh?" Huh? That woman she had believed to be her mother? How had she found us? This didn't seem to be going in the right direction.

"Yeah. She said she had followed me from the campfire, where she had given me the crown."

"When she gave you .. the crown?" There you have it. It seems as if this Mother Gothel-woman is around every corner in this story. How did that happen? Wasn't this supposed to be our story?

"Yes. I am so sorry I didn't tell you, but I was afraid. I told you that, remember?" Oh yeah. The whole 'I'm starting to'-thing. That was one of the grandest gestures in my entire life. Putting that crown away. But hey, who can blame me? Rapunzel is obviously worth a thousand of those crowns.

"Yes, I remember. And I understand."

"Thanks. So, that's how she knew where I was. She knocked out those really big brothers with a log or something. When I saw … When I saw that she cared so much as to take them on, I knew she loved me. She would take care of me and keep me safe. So.. so I went with her." That must've happened around the time that blasted boat was carrying me away from Rapunzel. Right at the moment when she had needed me the most. To protect her from Gothel, from herself even. She probably had never doubted me a second when I told her there was something I had to do. She trusted me. And then she saw me floating away from her, crown in hand. Of course, Gothel had to decide to show up at that exact moment. Rapunzel at her weakest, with her guard down. I was getting a feel for that woman.  
>"When we got back, I just lay on the bed, staring at my ceiling. I felt that I had kept a cloth in my closed hand. It was the Corona flag. When I was going to lay it away, I noticed something odd with the murals."<p>

"This is still connected to your real family, right? Because I am getting a little confused here. The Kingdom flag, the ceiling…"

"Yes. Bear with me. You'll understand. You see, I saw familiarities between the two. The longer I looked at the ceiling, the more suns I could make out in the murals. Hidden."

"Suns like the one on the flag, I take it?" Suns? How did suns get into this whole mess? The Corona-sun, of all suns to choose from. The sun that represented the royal family. And this was connected to her family? What the hell was going on?

"That's right. And then it all came flooding back. I remembered. I saw two people, my mother and father, standing over me, and they looked exactly like two of three people I saw on a mosaic in Corona. I tried to zoom in on that third person, a little baby girl. Which just led me to looking back at myself in the mirror, wearing the tiara. Those two persons, they are my real mother and father." No way. No. Crap. What?

"No … way… There is just no way. This cannot be happening!" Okaay. Whoa! Whole new perspective here people! Okay, no time to think. Thinking will come later. Now it's time to do what men are best at. Adjusting to new and unexpected circumstances. Right now, she probably needed to know that I would be there for her. "I am… in love… with the Princess of Corona?" Good job. Now for some thinking.


	2. Time For Some Thinking

_This will be Eugene, trying to be a man, as he put it so aptly himself. A man who adapts to new and unexpected circumstances. Rapunzel revealing herself to be the long lost princess most definitely would fall into that category. You will find some more moments from Revelations here, all from Eugene's point of view again. Writing this chapter, I really felt sorry for him. He is having a real hard time taking in all the new information, trying to cope with it in a frantic way, though outward trying to seem all laid-back about everything.**  
>Disclaimer<strong>__: I do not own any rights to Tangled. Though, every time I go by a well, I throw in a penny and I wish I did :)_

Peace and quiet. That was really what I needed most at the moment. So it was very welcome to me when Rapunzel said she wanted to spent some time alone in the tower, saying goodbye. Besides, I get that. It's the place where she has lived for all her life. And now she was going to leave it. For ever. Hopefully with me. Of course with me, who else is there? Still, it's a good question. Rapunzel is the princess the king and queen have been searching for during the last eighteen years. So where does that leave us? Will I be her husband, the Prince Consort? Yugh. What kind of title is that, anyway? Maybe, I could just start out as her servant. Get used to the palace life. No. No, that's just wrong. I mean, if I go home with Rapunzel, I most certainly am not going to hide. For Sun's sake, I am the one who saved her! The one who will return her! Right? Can I really just waltz through those gates? Will we even go to the palace after all this? Yes. Yes, I suppose so. Of course Rapunzel will want to see her parents. But where does that leave me? I am a thief, wanted for stealing the crown that belongs to the princess I am returning to her palace. What kind of story is that? A thief turned good? That only happens in fairy tales. But this is the real world. No one would believe me. Hell, I am even having some trouble believing me. Aargh! Why is this happening to me! Why can't Rapunzel just be any other girl? Why has everything to be so damn hard? Why can't I decide to just go with her? What *is* so hard about that? I would be with Rapunzel! Surely, that is what I want out of life? But if I go with Rapunzel, that would mean I have to face the king and queen. I would, somehow, have to convince them that I have no bad intentions regarding Rapunzel. That would mean one thing though. I have to be sure that I am able to convince them. And that in its turn means being able to answer the one question: who am I? How is it even possible that I am asking myself that question, the most cliché of all throughout the world. How is it possible that I have no answer ready? Then again, maybe that's not the real question. At the moment, I am neutral, nothing. I do not exist, yet. Here, right now, in the forest, I can be anyone I want to be. I could be nobody. I could leave. Which would mean that it's not about who I am. The real question is: who will I choose to be? Flynn, the thief, or Eugene, the saviour? I can't be both, that's for sure. Oh, wait, here comes Rapunzel. I will come back to that particular train of thought at some later moment.

**ososososososososososososososo**

Okay, when I am with Rapunzel, I am going to focus on her. This must be confusing for her as well. Just be natural. I'll figure out who to be later. For Rapunzel, I will be Eugene, as long as it feels as close to natural I can get at the moment. So, here goes.  
>"You ready Blondie?" That just works for her. Somehow. Sure, she has brown hair now, and I do have a thing for brunettes, but when I think of Rapunzel, she will be blond. When I was up in her tower and got struck down by Gothel, something weird had happened. I don't know what, and frankly, I am a bit scared to ask. All I know is, when I miraculously came back to life and opened my eyes for the first time, I saw Rapunzel. And she was surrounded by a golden light. So that's how I see her every time I close my eyes.<p>

"Don't you think a new hair colour would justify a new nickname?" Of course, that very same nickname gets to her more than I could possibly have imagined the first time I used it in the tower. Everything circles back there it seems.

"Nah. I like Blondie best." That I most definitely do. I can't help but let a hint of a kind smile creep through. In this case, it would turn out as a smirk. One of my best, I must say.

"Okay, but then I must be allowed to nickname you as well." Now, tread carefully here. I may not like it, but getting into a discussion with Rapunzel over whether or not I would get a nickname, most certainly would diminish my manly pride. Because she would win. It is fair, after all. Damage control may be accomplished if I gently nudge her into the right direction though.

"Fair enough. May I suggest some? What about … My Hero, or Mr. Handsome. Ooh, ooh, I know: Sexy!"

"I don't know, I was thinking more along the lines of Snuggly Bunny, Cootchie Poo, you know. That sort of thing." Where did that frown come from? Rapunzel is always so upbeat. Oh no. She must be serious. Okay, okay, more damage control. Just show her my cards a bit. If I get a nickname, it cannot be that embarrassing. It's just not possible.

"… Seriously? I mean, wouldn't you associate me with something more manly than that?" I wait for her response, biting my under lip. Please, please, let her call me Sexy…

"Ha! You should see your face, because you look ridiculous!" Wait, no! She was bluffing all that time? Remind to never play poker against her. And the cruel vixen even dared to use my own line against me! How dare she?

"You evil, vile, wicked, foul little …"

"I wouldn't finish that if I were you."

"And why's that? What is there that you could possibly do to me so I would not finish that particular sentence?"

"Well… There is of course the fact that I am the lost princess."

"Yes. So?"

"Well. You are a wanted thief, who has been seen with me at various moments during the last few days. There's only one logical conclusion to draw for the people not involved. Do the math." Oh. That's right. Why does she always have to be right? There indeed was only one logical conclusion that would come to mind with the people. I kidnapped her and return to secure my ransom. But a man can hope right? Those same people didn't recognise their princess. Now she has brown hair. Maybe it would work out. Then again, she did show a remarkable resemblance to her mother, from what I have seen of her on pamphlets. And that resemblance will be even more pronounced with her new haircolour. But it was true. People would immediately assume the worst. Still, Rapunzel was the lost princess, as she herself had pointed out. So she could probably prevent me being punished, right?

"You would let me be led to the gallows? Good luck with that. You can't live without me." She was silenced by that, at least.

"All right. You win."

"Really? Just like that?"

"Just like that. Can we please go now? I want you rubbing your little victory in my face as short as possible." She was angry? How had that happened? Oh, for sky's sake, she was even stomping to the cave entrance now. She had to be stopped. I didn't want those angry silences between us when we were headed off. Wherever we were going to head of to.

"Hey, wait!"

"What?"

"I can't live without you either Rapunzel."

**ososososososososososososososo**

We were silently walking to the cave together. It gave me some respite to think over my possible actions. Because there was something I hadn't thought of earlier. If I went with Rapunzel to see her parents, somehow, at some point, we were probably supposed to get married. That by itself, I wouldn't have minded a bit. I mean, look at her! Any man would be thrilled to marry her. But that was just it, wasn't it? There probably would be a lot of royal suitors lining up at the gates the moment Rapunzel was presented to the public. And I'll bet that any one of them would be better at presiding over a whole kingdom than me. Aargh. There those thoughts are again. As long as we are in the forest, I am not going to think or decide anything. That will come later. I even promised myself I would be focusing on Rapunzel. So, where were we? We had passed through the cave/tunnel by this time, and had entered the actual forest. When I looked at Rapunzel, I saw a light smile lingering on her lips. There were a lot of subjects that could get her in that state. There really was nothing that Rapunzel couldn't smile at. But I was curious what it was this time. The world always somehow seemed a bit lighter, a bit easier through her eyes. Even if it sounds cheesy.  
>"What are you thinking of?"<p>

"The time we spent in The Snugly Duckling." Of course. A pub filled with murderous thugs. Because that they are, even though they have dreams. Dreams and thugs! How did that combination even exist, for pity's sake? It was bad enough that they danced. It was worse that they had made me dance. And sing. Yet, of course, Rapunzel had managed to have a great time. Maybe because she did have that easier lookout.

"Yeah, you smile. You somehow managed to have a good time."

"Aah, come on Eugene. You were dancing and singing too. Don't tell me you didn't enjoy it."

"Grr, argh. Wait.. What? No!"

"Very articulate."

"Thanks. Let it be enough that I most certainly did not enjoy my time in *that pub*." That pub. I will never speak its name out loud ever again.

"But you did enjoy the Kingdom Dance, didn't you? Don't tell me you didn't, I'm not buying it." The Kingdom Dance. Yes, of course I had enjoyed that. I had enjoyed every bit of spare time I spent with Rapunzel in the city that day. My only regret was that I hadn't been able to dance with her. All I got out of that dance was that I was the one with whom she left. In the end, that was all that had mattered, really.

"Yeah, well, yeah. Sure. I liked that. Which makes me think of a more pressing matter. What are we going to do when we arrive at the Kingdom?" I could never keep the thoughts at bay for too long. And if I was going to make a decision, I had to know what Rapunzel had in mind.

"What do you mean? Don't we just present ourselves to my parents?" Right. That was to be expected. Maybe an easy outlook on the world wasn't always handy. One of us had to worry. She really believed it was that simple? Wow. Okay, stay calm. No thoughts. No decisions. No, it wasn't working. Some decisions had to be made. Right now, I should focus on her plan of seeing her parents. Because, let's face it, I am a wanted criminal.

"Uhuh. You know that Corona is riddled with Wanted-posters, all portraying someone who is supposed to look like me, but with the strangest noses I have ever seen?"

"Oh. Right. Hadn't thought of that. Still, I am the lost princess. The guards will have to obey me, won't they?" She was the lost princess, that was correct. But that didn't necessarily make matters easier. I hated to burst her little happy bubble. I really did. But we have to stay realistic.

"Sure they will. Once they have been proven that you are this mysterious lost princess. You don't even have the same hair colour anymore as when you were lost!"

"But I am my parents' daughter! Surely they will see the likeness."

"Maybe. Possibly. But I am most certainly not prepared to bet my life on it." Did I really say that? I did, didn't I? That cleared up a lot. Am I really that bad? Oh crap. That thought just invited a whole new and unforeseen spectre of thoughts and decisions. Would it ever stop? Probably not. I would have to act. I would have to take action, I will not be swept away by Rapunzel's spirit. I must stand up for my own thoughts and decisions at some time. That would mean that I have to figure out what they are first, though. But when would I be able to get some more of that quiet time? Thinking of quiet time, Rapunzel was lost in thought too it seemed. That couldn't last for too long. She was the talking type. And sure enough.

"We have Maximus!" Okay, I am the one person alive who can boast to have spent the most time with Rapunzel. And I don't know what she is talking about.

"Yeah, so what?"

"Well, he is a palace horse. And if I have understood him correctly, he is not just any palace horse. His master was the Captain of the Guards. Once the Guards see that Maximus is friendly with us, they will know that we mean no harm." 'if I have understood him correctly'? Did I really hear that? Did she really say that? Rapunzel always was full of surprises. Back to the other things she said. Maximus was a great horse (though I would never tell him that), but those Guards could just as easily believe he was escorting us to the prison.

"I still think it's risky."

"Of course it is risky! But what else is there? We are just going to walk in and get to the palace as quickly as possible. Preferably unnoticed. When we are there, my parents will recognise you, I will convince them to pardon you and we can live happily ever after." Aarrgh! Yes, Rapunzel's world really was that simple. At least we wouldn't make it to the city before nightfall. Maybe I could think more and decide what to decide when she was sleeping.

_Kindly review :)_


	3. Decisions

_And here it is, a new chapter! I know it took longer than usually, but I have been away with the family. And there was no internet. I did take my laptop, so that's when I wrote this. I'll post it almost as soon as I get home ;) This is where I stray from the path that was laid out. This will be my story of Tangled.**  
>Disclaimer:<strong>__ I do not own the rights to Tangled. I can't even ask for them for Christmas, because neither does Santa :(_

It was dark. We had found a place to camp. I had been looking out for our previous campsite, but we hadn't found that one. Could've known that of course. We were taking a completely different way back. But this place would do just as well. It was kind of the same. I had started a fire, there was a tree stump for Rapunzel to sit on. I was sitting on it now, keeping the fire going for a bit. You never know what animals might be looking at us right now. Not that I was scared, I just didn't want the trouble of chasing any animal away right now. Because right now I needed to think. Rapunzel was lying beside me, on this bed of leaves she had been collecting in the late afternoon. Pascal had snuggled up close to her beside her head. Max lay on the other side of the fire. He had turned out to be a very nice companion really. Of course it was nice that we didn't have to carry most of Rapunzel's stuff. Also, he was the bravest horse I have encountered. Between the two of us and the fire, we were as safe as we could be. And this would probably be the longest stretch of doing nothing I would get to have in quite a while, so it was time for some decisions. Urgh. I have been stalling. I had good reason to, though. Rapunzel would freak out of she knew what sort of thoughts I have been having lately. Trying not to have, really.

But now it was time to face the facts. So. Facts. I am a thief. Or at least I was. I am not any more, am I? But I am wanted for thieving. To rephrase: I have been a thief. But would the king and queen understand the meaning behind a change of tense? To them, I would be a thief, as tough as they come. I had stolen their daughter's crown. The crown of the daughter they had only got to hold for a few days. Probably one of the only things that could remind them of their happy days. The crown they would need to welcome back their daughter, if ever she came. They had the crown back though. The guards of course took it from me the moment they pulled me out of that blasted boat. So was there nothing to worry about? Of course there was. There is always something to worry about. That crown hadn't been the only thing I had stolen from nobility. They had asked for it though, with their outrageously expensive parties where women would wear their best jewellery and were more than flattered to get some attention from a young man. Flattered enough to not notice I took their rings with me at the end of such an event. Good times. But no. Can't do that anymore. Put that lazy smile away! So a life with Rapunzel would mean no more stealing. I could cope with that, right?

And a life with Rapunzel would eventually mean we had to get married. The princess couldn't stay without a husband. An heir to the throne had to be procured. Gah! I don't want to think that far ahead! Would I marry her and give her children? Yes and hopefully, respectively. But most certainly not the moment we were invited into the palace. Na-ah. Way too soon. How would her parents feel about that? Surely they wanted the best for their daughter? Or would they want the best for their kingdom? Were those two mutually exclusive? Not necessarily, I suppose. The best for the kingdom meant little princes and princesses. The best for Rapunzel meant a man who could marry her and stay with her and love her and worship her and respect her. I could be that man. But there were princes out there who had been trained to be that man all their lives. I started considering being with one woman for the rest of my life two days ago. How could I compete? The truth is: I can't. Would I have to? Or would the royal pair let Rapunzel and me get married without some intervening prince striding into the palace to sweep Rapunzel off her bare little feet? And if they didn't, that meant Rapunzel would have to choose. How could I force her to do that? Because, obviously, a prince could open so many more doors for her. It could settle wars, strengthen a truce, unite kingdoms even. How could I make Rapunzel choose between me and her kingdom? What kind of man would let his lover make such a decision? It wouldn't be me.

Oh gods. Has it really come to this? Will I make this decision for her? Is that fair? No. Of course it's not fair. Life isn't fair. Fairness doesn't come into this. It's not fair to me either, now is it? Rapunzel is the only one I will ever really want to be with. And I am giving her up. How did I become a masochist? No, don't think that way. I am doing this for her wellbeing. Of course I am. Rapunzel will always come first. This was the best way. She had to serve her kingdom, and she wouldn't be able to do that with me around. What do I know of palace life? I would probably just have felt trapped, stuffed into this roomy, golden cage. I would get depressed, I would take up too much of Rapunzel's time because I needed to be reassured I had done the right thing. While Rapunzel needed her time to learn how to be a queen and rule a kingdom. She wouldn't be free, that's true. She is royalty after all, and everybody knows that there's etiquette to follow. But she would be able to see and experience the world. She wouldn't be trapped in a space that covered only two rooms. And Rapunzel deserved better than me. What could I possibly offer her that she couldn't get from some stuck up prince? Nothing. So there you have it. The facts. I have nothing to offer Rapunzel. It would only be selfish of me to stay with her, and after a while it wouldn't even be selfish anymore, it would be hurtful for the both of us. Besides, look at me. I am not exactly marriage material, now am I? I am an orphan and I have been living in an orphan house until I reached the age of fifteen. That's when I got away and started to live a life of my own. And what a life it has been. I have been living as a stray dog, moving from place to place when the mood got me or when I overstayed my welcome. This mostly happened after I went to one of the parties I mentioned earlier. I like that. Coming and going whenever and wherever I want. That makes it clear, right? That most certainly is not the living style of a man who could ever settle down. I am not meant for marriage and marriage isn't meant for me. There's no need to get soppy over that. It's a fact. Facts cannot be denied. I am a thief and I will always be a thief. There's no need for me in a palace, it would only suffocate me. How could I ever have thought it might possibly work out? Ever? There's not the remotest chance.

And I am not saying that to assure myself I am doing the right thing here. It's just another of those facts. What could I have been thinking? It would never have worked out. I have just gotten carried away with the moment. Rapunzel deserves someone better than I could ever hope to become, this is all for her wellbeing. Besides, what does she really know about love? I am the first guy she ever met! She'll get over me. It's settled then. I will go back to my life the way it was before I met Rapunzel.

_How could he, right? I know. Please don't hate me. Because this story has to be told as well. I hope you guys will still like it, it feels like a really huge leap to me. It's big and it means a lot to me. So please be kind with your reviews._


	4. Crushing A Soul

_Oh yeah, another chapter! The next one will probably take a while, I am going to be quite the busy bee the next few days. But don't worry, I'll get back to you guys!**  
>Disclaimer:<strong>__ I do not own the rights to Tangled. Which is just as good really, because if I did, I would only be giggling all day long. Every day. For the rest of my life._

A thousand possible stories to tell Rapunzel have passed through my head. I could tell her that I have to live my own life, conquering dragons and vanquishing all evil in general. Being your standard hero, really. That way, she would look up to me and maybe she could let go of me. I also thought of telling her that there is a woman in my past to whom I am betrothed. It´s a bit flimsy, but it´s doable. Hell, I even thought of telling her the actual truth. That I am going away to let her be who she is supposed to be. But that would never do. Because it wouldn´t make any sense to her and she would fight me over it. I would still leave of course, but she would spend the rest of her life looking for me. And that was exactly what was not supposed to happen. I had to tell her something that would leave her convinced that I would never come back and that there was no use for her coming after me. And there was only one story that could make that happen. I had to tell Rapunzel I didn´t love her. I have thought of just disappearing, leaving behind a letter to explain everything. But that would only make her really bent on coming after me. I had to tell her in person that there was nothing in her that could get me to come with her. So here I was now, just observing Rapunzel as she lay sleeping. Savouring every second before she woke up and I would crush her soul. Was that being melodramatic? I certainly hope so.

Oh gods, help me. She's shifting. Not the kind to get into a nice position, the kind where you want to cling on to sleep, while it's slipping away. Better get ready. Rolling over on her right side and facing me, she crunched her eyes shut. She was awake. She slowly opened her left eye, then blinked against the bright light of the sun. After that, she kept her eyes closed for a while and just lay there. Now she opened both her eyes.

"Hi Gorgeous."

"Hey Sexy."

"How far are we from the palace? Do you think we can make it today?" Really? That's her first question? Not 'how did you sleep' or even 'how's the weather'? It makes sense of course, but I don't like it. I didn't mean to tell her this fast. But I was not that cruel as to keep her hopes up now.

"Rapunzel, I have to tell you something."

"Because I would really like to finally meet my parents… What is it?"

"I… I have to tell you something."

"Yes, you said that. What is it that you have to tell me? Gods, Eugene, why are you looking so serious?" There really is no nice way of telling her this. There just isn't. The best I can do for her is just to ease her into it with the least worse part. Maybe it'll be enough.

"I can't come with you."

"What do you mean, you can't come with me? Of course you can! It's not that far anymore, now is it?"

"No. No, it isn't. But that's not it. It's just that… I… don't think you want the explanation."

"Oh, but you're wrong there! You really believe you could just bail on me without telling me why or where you're going? Honestly, men! Just spit it out and get it over with. It can't be all that bad!" Maybe I should've just left, leaving a note. No. There's a reason why I'm here now. And she's right. Just spit it out.

"All right. I don't love you." Gods, why? No. No thoughts. Now, of all times, I need to keep up my poker face. It is of the utmost importance that she doesn't get on to the fact that this is the biggest lie I have ever told. But look at her! It's obvious that she doesn't want to believe me, but she does. Maybe I should be thankful to the Stabbington Brothers for putting me on the boat. Evidentially, her trust is easier to break now. But how am I ever going to be able to keep up this charade, when I can see that she is in pain? Just keep it up. That's the only way. Her interest was of course kinda perked by now, so she got up on an elbow.

"You don't… love me?"

"No."

"I don't believe you." Wait, what? No! This isn't supposed to happen! She should just take it and let me go!

"What do you mean, you don't believe me? There is no choice to believe, it's the truth!"

"Eugene, just listen for a while, okay? I know you think that the moment we get to the city, you and possibly me too will be hauled away to prison. And that's why you thought of this pathetic little lie, it's just to keep you out of the city. Now, this bit is important: it's not gonna happen! I won't let them kill you!" Aha. So that's how she sees it.

"No, Rapunzel, you don't get it. I have been thinking over that while you were sleeping. And I believe that you would be able to keep me out of harm's way."

"So there's nothing to worry about. All settled?"

"No, not all settled. You see, you just took my last defence away. I have been arguing with you over whether I would be caught for only one reason. And it wasn't fear of the guards." How didn't I think of this earlier? It's brilliant. She of course hadn't seen this one coming. She got on her knees and tried to pull her hair behind her ears. Only there really wasn't long enough hair anymore. She just looked a bit miserable when she realised – again – that her hair was gone.

"Oh."

"Yeah. You see, I was just trying to get out of the deal without having to tell you the truth. I don't love you Rapunzel. Never have."

"But… but what about the lanterns?"

"Isn't it obvious? It was all about the crown. It always has been about the crown. And when you gave it back to me, I just did the nice thing by putting it away. You of course thought more of it and came in for the kiss. I knew I couldn't. Luckily I saw the Stabbington Brothers, which gave me the opportunity to stall. When we got on the shore, I gave them the crown. They would keep it safe while I got rid of you. Of course, they just had to double cross me." Genius, right? Just flip the whole thing around! I am almost glad that I found the perfect lie. It makes it harder for Rapunzel to waver my confidence about me doing the right thing here.

"No. I can't believe this. I just can't. You're not that good an actor! Oh gods. Eugene, how could you! No, no. Pull it together now. Okay. Then… then why did you ever come back to rescue me from Gothel?" Ouch. Good one. Oh, of course!

"Well, I didn't really have a choice in that one, now did I? Max arranged the whole breakout, and I most certainly wasn't gonna say no to that. Besides, I didn't figure out where he was taking me until we had reached the cave. Once we got there, I figured, why not? I spend three days with you, and here I had the chance to rescue you. It wasn't that much trouble, really." Nice. Totally in style, thus: very believable. And it showed. Rapunzel was looking a bit bewildered, which was to be expected.

"No. No, this can't be happening. But then, why would you ever die for me? Tell me that?" I just kept myself from biting my lip with this one.

"Well… I kinda figured that Gothel was a witch. I thought that was the reason why you wouldn't speak of her. And every witch has a potion to bring back the dead, or so I've heard. Besides, she also confirmed my suspicions just by the way she looked. So I figured, if I could set you free and not die permanently by doing so… Why not? Of course, it didn't really work out that way. But I didn't stay dead, and that's what really matters." A bit feeble, but it's the best I got. I just hope that her determination is weakened by my earlier revelations.

"Oh. Aha. Okay. I see." She was stalling, trying to come up with something she could throw at me which would bring me back to her. And she found something. "The kiss! We kissed!" But I had been prepared for that one. I was amazed that it had taken her this long to think of it. It had been on my mind almost constantly.

"Correction. You kissed me."

"Sure. But you kissed back." And here it came. The coup de grace. This had to do it.

"Rapunzel, seriously. Think for a moment. What man would not kiss a girl when she practically threw herself on him? I was just making use of the available opportunity. You're just another girl to me. Besides your hair, there was nothing special about you. And that's gone now too. I just kept up this charade in the hope that you would get me a pardon. Of course, you wanted an explanation. So there you have it. I do not love you." I was dying inside. She had to believe me. There was nothing more I could do.

"I am… just another girl?"

"Yes." And then it came, so quiet that I almost missed it. Her surrender.

"Go."

"Come again?"

"Go away. Take Max and go away as fast as you possibly can. I never want to see you again." And that was my cue. That's what I had been waiting for. But now I couldn't tear myself away.

"Will you get to the palace safely?"

"What do you care? You don't love me, remember! Just go away and never come back!"

So I turned my back on Her. I turned my back on the one girl I had ever loved. Which gave me my answer. I choose to be Flynn Rider, the Thief.

_In a way, everything up to now was also sort of a prologue. Because now, we really get to discover what Eugene/Flynn is like with no Rapunzel around to lift his spirits and everything. One thing is sure, it's going to be quite interesting :)_


	5. On The Road Again

_Yes! You guys, I'm back! I hope there are still people out there reading this after I've been away for so long. Sorry about that. But, I am very happy with this chapter. I hope you will be too :D**  
>Disclaimer<strong>__: I do not own the rights to Tangled. They belong to Disney, them lucky bastards._

Wow. I really can't believe I did that. Wow. What am I going to do now? First things first: get your head together. Right. Right… Right. Okay. No. Not working. I have to leave? I have to leave. That requires… transport! Yes, that's it! Where the hell is Maximus?  
>"Max! Where are you! We have to leave, now!" I was already gathering all my stuff. It really wasn't that much: my knifes, bag (stuffed with apples, to coax the transport) and… Should I take the frying pan? I can't very well leave Her without any defence, now can I? Okay, no frying pan. Max was already coming back, so goodbye was drawing closer. Or? No. No goodbye. A clean wound always heals the fastest, so I had to leave as little problems behind as I possibly could. And even I know myself well enough to see that a goodbye could only make things worse. For the both of us. Gods, this was hard.<br>"Alright Max, you ready for another adventure?" Now I was talking to the horse. What's more, I think he understood me, because he whinnied and threw his head high. I must be going mad already.  
>"Okay, easy, steady boy. Here, have an apple." I threw my bag over my shoulder, stuffed the knifes in my pocket and got on. I have to be pro-active here, else I'll never get away. Okay, so, put the horse into first gear. Max trotted off. I held him in only for a short moment when we got to a turn in the road. I really just want a last glimpse. I know I love her. Why was it so easy for her to believe I didn't? I must be a better actor than people have made me believe. One last look, to get it out of my system, to enable me to go back to being Flynn. A role which really suits me better anyway. We had almost rounded the corner. I turned. She was just sitting on the ground with her back to me, looking utterly devastated. Maybe this look hadn't been such a good idea. Luckily, Max was plodding on oblivious of my inner turmoil, which kept me from running back to her side that instant to comfort her and tell her it was all a lie.<p>

Where would I go now? Maybe I should've thought this part through. I couldn't very well go back to the Kingdom, not with Her due to arrive any time now. I wouldn't be able to join in the festivities which would erupt when news got out the Lost Princess had returned. No. I had to get as far away from there as I possibly could. To keep me from running to her side and to keep her from seeing me. Which would only hurt her. If it hurt me not being able to see her, then so be it. The best thing would be for me to leave Corona all together. Wow. Being Flynn is really harder than I thought it would be. Eugene really knows how to get to me. I'm probably just out of practice. Yes, that must be it. So where was I? Oh yeah, leaving Corona. Shouldn't go too far, though. You never know if the need would come up for me to call on some 'old friends'. An extra pair of hands would always come in handy if I were to plan a master criminal offence. That's more like it. So a neighbouring country. And while we're at it, I might just as well go somewhere warm and nice, somewhere I haven't been before. Tacris? No. Too many nobility I have stolen from when they were visiting Corona. Egglestein and Realessandra have the same problem. I could go to Citafiore. Yes. The royalties over there haven't visited other countries that much. Never that I've heard of anyway. This might have to do something with the fact that most of the land is mountain. But on the other side of those mountains was the sea. And a sea meant a beach. So that would be perfect. Citafiore it is.

Man.. I hadn't thought it would be this far to that damned beach. Why had there to be a mountain ridge between me and my destination? I mean, seriously? Haven't I punished myself enough for past sins by walking away from Her? Surely, that must count for something? But nooo, I have to climb some more mountains. Life isn't fair and that's the tough truth. Urgh. How did I ever become this person, wallowing in self-pity? This had to stop. I have to become Flynn once more. Problem is, how? It's like She stole all my Flynn-powers. How could She possibly have been immune to The Smoulder? No one is impervious to The Smoulder. Wait, what was that sound? It sounded raw, like someone was making a huge effort. Okay. I have decided to take control and that's why I will investigate this sound. Also, it seems to be on the road ahead of me anyway. Turning round the last boulder now… Huh? Oh! A cart seems to be stuck in a mole's hole and the appaloosa pony can't pull it out. And a woman is pushing the cart from behind. Not an ugly woman either. She has curly raven black hair flowing down her back to about the height of her navel. She was wearing a slightly discoloured white bodice kept together by a lace, with puffy short sleeves. Somehow, it went quite well with her ankle-length skirt, which had broad vertical stripes in dusty pink and light grey. And what the skirt was hiding from view looked very nice indeed. Now this would be an excellent object to practise my Flynn on. I got off Max and walked forward, leading him by his rein. Quite unnecessary, he wouldn't go anywhere. But you never know how he would react to the pony.  
>"Hellooo there!" The woman startled and turned around quickly. The front matched the back very well. She had big, very dark blue eyes, a smallish nose and full lips. Apart from a simply coloured, wooden bracelet around her tanned wrist, she didn't seem to be wearing any jewellery. The neck of her bodice was low, but not too low. It left just the right amount to imagination.<p>

"My, you scared me a bit just now. I thought you were some outlaw." Do I look like an outlaw? Can't be. Yeah, she was smirking, she was trying to toy with me. Me! Flynn Rider! Well, she would be in for a surprise.

"How you doin'?" With a little nod of the head. Never failed.

"How do you think I'm doing? I'm trying to get my cart to move on!" Sensing a little animosity right there. How was it possible that I meet two girls in two weeks and they both are able to resist my charm? It's most certainly not the Charm's fault, the Charm is doing fine. Maybe there's something in the water these days. Note to self: drink only ale from now on.

"Right, right, of course. You need a hand with that?"

"Oh, thank you kindly for offering sir, but do you really think you could manage it?" Sheesh. She doesn't have to be that obvious about it! Well, I would show her that I could push a cart out of a hole. It isn't loaded above the level of the sideboards, so how heavy could it be? No. Don't think that. Really shouldn't have thought that. Fate seems to love to prove me wrong.

"Sure I could. Let me to it." She moved aside to give me some space. At least I hope that was the reason. No, I don't smell. Anyway, to business. I put my hands on the back of the cart and gave a hard shove. It seemed to go a bit forward. But when I let go, it only rolled more backwards. Frustratingly. What the hell was in there? But I had moved it. I could move it more. Again, this time just push harder.

"Aarghgh, grrrr, arr, prrft…" No. It had moved forward more, but it was still stuck.

"Prrft? Seriously? And you haven't even got the damned thing out." Of course she looked smug. And, what was she doing? Was she really? … No! She was going to help. This really is too much for my manly pride. Is it worse if we get it out together, or better? Can't quite decide. We'll see how it plays out. Just be dominant. Men are dominant. Take control.

"Okay. On three. One – Two – Threehee!" Pushpushpushpush! Yeeeeeees… NO! Whyhyyy? So what now? So much for taking control. Maybe she had a solution? "You got any ideas on how to get it out?"

"Well, there is a sturdy looking horse standing right over there. I think he belongs to you?" Fuck. How stupid could anyone be? Of course I should've thought to put Max next to the pony the first moment. I had quite forgotten about him. How did she do that? And why had she tried to push out the cart with me, if she knew Max could do it? Maybe she did not think as low of me as I thought she had. Now there was a promising thought.

"Right, yes. I'll just get some rope from his saddle… tie him up to the cart…" Would he do it? He was a palace horse, after all, would he stoop to pulling a cart for me? Maybe he just needed a little bribing. So I whispered, looking as if I was fixing his bridle: "Okay Max, now listen. If you manage to pull out this little wagon here, I promise to buy you a sack of apples the next time I get the opportunity." That should do the trick. Sure enough, his ears were standing forward attentively. I should try to save as much dignity as I had left in my bones, so taking control again would be good. "Shall we try again? I don't think we will need all of us this time, just let me push. That way, I can keep an eye on Max... Which is the name of my horse." Not very smooth. But if she swallowed it, I could show off a bit to her while she was standing aside. I am shameless.

"Max, huh? Isn't that more a dog's name? No, don't answer that. Just push, would you?" She didn't have to say it that testily. But she did stand aside. Here was my chance to set things right. The horses pulling, me pushing – and hard too, but in the end we did get it out. My pride was restored. It gave me a sort of warm feeling. It seemed to have impressed her as well. That's good.

"I do not like to say it, and certainly not to total strangers, but… thank you."

"You're welcome. And we could fix the 'total stranger'-thing, if you want to." Ooo, nice one! In style and fitting in the context, showing you have actually listened to what she was saying and haven't been staring at her enthrallingly red lips. Which seem to be stained, as if squashed berries have been rubbed over them. How would they taste? Very nice, I suppose. Ho! Stop! You are trying to prove here that you are paying attention!

"… think for a second that you have any chance of making it with me, you can just think again. Just because you managed to get my cart on the road – with my help, I might add – doesn't mean you get a freebie for any inappropriate behaviour!" Oh good lord. I hadn't meant it that way. Well, maybe I had. Who knows. I had just thrown a line, thinking I would see where it would lead me. To a rampage, it turned out. Damage control seemed to be called for.

"Nonononono! I didn't mean it like that! Just, you know, I meant it like this: 'Nice to make your acquaintance, my name is Flynn Rider. ' See, no total stranger anymore, now am I?" She at least had the decency to look ashamed a bit, her cheeks darkened some. Darn it. It only made her look more attractive. How could I be thinking this? Flynn must be more powerful than I had imagined him to be.

"Oh. I see. Okay, then I should probably reply: 'Likewise, my name is Clerissa Maelun, nice to meet you too.' And don't start about the name." I wouldn't have, anyway. But this did give me a chance to get on her good side. Which I seem to want to? Ah well, a companion on the road never is a bad thing.

"Okay, I won't. By the way, where are you headed?"

"Not that it really is any of your business, but Rega Fiore, the capital of Citafiore. I am headed for the market." A saleswoman, was she now? I hadn't had a chance to look under the cloth that was covering the wagon.

"Selling what?"

"Now that really is none of your business. Enough answering. Where are you off to?" I had meant to pass by Rega Fiore and push on for the sea. But something in Clerissa really captivated me. I would actually like to travel with her for a bit.

"Yeah, Rega Fiore, me too. I, uh, am visiting some distant relatives." No such thing, of course. But as I wasn't carrying any objects anyone would be remotely interested in buying, I couldn't really be doing that much else. And I couldn't very well tell her that I robbed people for a living.

"Ahaa.. I see. Well, as we are going the same way, and we both have a horse, maybe we could go together?" Yes! But why would she ask me? She acts if she is deigning herself when she is talking with me, why would she propose to spend two more days in my company? She probably needed someone to protect her from outlaws, ruffians, thugs, other thieves. There were an awful lot of those out there. Plus, this would probably help a lot to get Her out of my head.

"Sure. Why not?"

_Please comment :) Oh, and did you know? Rapunzel is going to be inducted into the Disney Princesses franchise in October!_


	6. Past Life

_I was completely stuck on this chapter at first. But I am really happy with how this turned out. Hope you guys will be too!  
><strong>Disclaimer<strong>: I do not own the rights to Tangled. It's really killing me to have to keep saying that every time…_

It was turning dark. So we stopped in an open spot on the side of a small, slowly flowing river. That way the horses could drink. I went looking for wood to start a fire for the night, while Clerissa went about the business of making her cart ready for the night. Apparently this wasn't easily achieved. Round the time I got back, a whole pile of sticks in my arms, she quickly threw the cloth back over the wagon. I really was getting curious about its contents now. She hadn't referred to her business on the way, she was being very secretive about it, really. That could be interesting.

"Is there any particular reason why you won't tell me what is under the cloth?"

"Of course there is. But I am not even going to tell you that reason."

"Ah, come on Clerissa! You must know by now that I am the most trustworthy guy here in a range of, say, a day's walk."

"True, but that doesn't mean that I trust you already. I only give my trust when it is earned. And you have yet to prove that you have done that." So that is it. I can do that.

"Okay. Different subject. Who will have first shift?"

"First shift? First shift of what?"

"Well, of guarding of course! We are in the middle of the mountains here, if you hadn't noticed yet. There are cougars, pumas, wolves, bears. And that's only the animals. Don't even let me get started on the humans."

"Okay, I won't. Let me have the first shift then, I want to check out the hooves of Ranulf."

"Fine by me. Make sure the fire stays high and wake me when the moon is on its highest point."

"Will do."

Clerissa didn't wake me up. But I did wake up. Something had been bothering me in my sleep. I tried to remember what it was, but when I almost had it, it would slip away again. I hate that about dreams. Anyway, I was awake now. The fire was dying down a bit. I wanted to tell Clerissa to throw some more wood on, but I didn't see her at first. When I looked better, I saw a small animal on the other side of the fire. It had a brown fur with a tuft of black curly hair at the end. I had never seen something like it before. A beaver sprang to mind, but that fur ought to be slicker. Then it snored and that was when I realised it was Clerissa, rolled up in an animal hide to keep the cold out. She was asleep. Well, I was awake now. Might as well guard the fire, crackling happily. That was it. That was what had been bothering me. The crackling was the only sound. There were no other forestnoises. Where had all the animals gone?  
>And then I saw something else. There was a silhouette winding silently between the trees on the edge of the clearing. It was circling us, away from me. But towards Clerissa, who had expressly moved to the other side of the fire so as not to 'embolden me in a pursuit doomed to fail' as she had put it very eloquently during the day. As if. I snort derisively at the mere thought even now (I don't really, I just think this sounds better and more chivalric than 'Damn, she got me'). Back to the person in the woods. He was edging out of the trees now, coming towards us. And he didn't seem to have friendly intentions, given the fact he was making a painful effort not to be noticed. Where had I put my knives? In my satchel. Satchelsatchelsatchel. Groping around me in the dark didn't come up with the desired result: knives in my hands. Instead I just got more panicky. Where *is* it? Oh. Of course. I had it when unsaddling Max. I put the saddle on the ground and left the satchel beneath it, so it wouldn't get wet if it were to rain (it had been kind of dreary all day, though there was no cloud to be seen now. Which was good, I got to keep an eye on the intruder's slow progress). And what happened to the saddle after that? Oh yes, I threw my jacket over it and used it as a pillow. I reached under my head, and sure enough, I felt the familiar weather-beaten leather in my hand. I slowly pulled my closed hand back and carefully opened the bag. There they were. I put two under my belt and kept one in my hand.<br>This is when the full moon became more inconvenient, because now I also wanted to stay unnoticed while closing in with someone. I had to get this intruder from behind, which meant that I would have to edge away first and then circle around so I would between him and the forest, while he was between me and Clerissa. If she didn't do anything stupid, this should leave him without and escape route. I got up very slowly and started moving away from the fire. At the moment I really wasn't in the light anymore, I started to circle towards our mystery man, who was now clearly visible, as he had got in the ring of light already. He probably hadn't seen there was somebody else on the other side of the fire. I hadn't used anything for a blanket, so all there was now was a saddle. He thought he was alone. This gave me an edge, but it also meant he wouldn't worry about making a noise. He could wake up Clerissa, she would probably scream and he would pounce just to shut her up and get away with any booty. This most certainly was not an acceptable scenario for me. At this point, having progressed a quarter round the fire, I noticed something else which was alarming in its own way. Clerissa's eyes were open. She wasn't asleep. I hadn't noticed her waking up, but I prayed to the stars that the thief would remain quiet long enough to let me be able to get close enough to him to deal with him. And the stars just loved to make life harder for me. I could not think of any other explanation why the thief would step on a twig at this exact moment. Clerissa's eyes flashed to me.  
>To me? So she knew I was here? There seemed to be a sort of plea in her eyes, but for what I don't know. For me to stay away or for me to save her. It didn't matter what she wanted me to do, I was going to get that bastard. Oh dear lord. She had put her hand under her body and it came back with a knife in her hand. So we were both armed. The thief was almost upon her, I had reached the point where I was behind him and could come closer without him seeing me or a revealing shadow. But I hadn't been fast enough. He was bending over her now. I started running. I didn't care if I made a noise, that would only be good now. Hopefully it would distract him and draw him away from Clerissa. She may well be armed, but she was still lying down. Everybody knew that height was always an advantage in a battle. His head snapped up when I drew closer, which was what she must have been waiting for.<br>Her hand shot up and the knife lodged itself in his leg. But it wasn't enough to get him down. He immediately reached down and with one hand got out the knife while with the other he pulled her to her feet so that her back was against his chest. Then he whirled round to face me, while he put the knife on her throat. She was looking at me with that same expression on her face. And I understood. She had been pleading for me to forgive her for what she had been about to do. She had known I wouldn't have gotten to her in time, so she had made up her mind to attack him before he could attack her. Well, look where that had gotten us. How could it have gone this awry? We had weapons and surprise on our side. He had neither. No use thinking that over now. Adjust to new circumstances. I was good at that.

"You really don't wanna do that, pal."

"And why's that?" His voice sounded throaty, hoarse. As if it hadn't been used in quite a while. I had sounded confident, which was more than how I felt.

"Because my men have surrounded us and are lying in wait in the bushes for my command at this very moment." It most certainly was not the truth, but it was the best I had. I was too far away to rush at him. He would have plenty of time to kill her and then focus entirely on me. If only I had a sword instead of knives, that would have given me a chance to get away myself. But that was out of the question. It was obvious this man was a veteran and had killed before. Which meant he wouldn't hesitate to do it again. The only thing I could do was stall and hope some opportunity woud come along.

"Is that so? And what would that make you, a soldier of the king? I hate the king. He imprisoned me. I would be more than happy to dispose of his precious guards. Anyway, we both know there is nobody hiding in the bushes and that you are no soldier. So think again before you tell me another lie. Because that's what I hate most, it comes right after this girl and the king." So he knew Clerissa? This hadn't been a random robbery. Then it probably hadn't been intended as a robbery at all. How would she know a man like this? And why would he be out for her life?

"Ah. I see she hasn't told you?" Told me what? This was getting annoying, really. I should be the one in control. But this whole revelation was stalling, so that was good. I looked at Clerissa again, trying to figure out what she was hiding from me. But she didn't meet my gaze. She even looked away. I had caught an expression of pain on her lovely face. This hurt, more than I had expected it would have. She didn't trust me.

"Told me what?"

"Oooh, Alessandra, you naughty girl! This man got you back on the road, has been travelling with you, even now he is trying to save your life! And you haven't told him?" A sob came from her mouth, but she didn't speak a word. I had only been with her for a day, but it had felt as if I really knew her. And I knew that she would never give up on something. But now she just looked defeated. Which was how I felt.

"What did you call her?"

"Oh, truly, this is too much! Alessandra here hasn't even told you her real name?"

"Don't call her that. Her name is Clerissa. Clerissa Maelun."

"No, in fact it's not. This little woman here is called Alessandra Meralda." No. There is no way. This is Alessandra Meralda? She was the best female thief, maybe even the best thief of our time. Her head had snapped up and now I was the one avoiding her eyes. How… Why… I couldn't even articulate my own thoughts. This is too much.

"I see she hasn't told you. Well then, dearie, I will do the honours for you. You see, Alessandra here owes me. Big time. Once upon time, more precisely, eight years ago, we were a team. And we were good. Alessandra would draw all the attention away with her tantalising body and her enchanting face. By dancing. In the meantime, I would relieve as many of the onlookers of their purses as I possibly could." I could see it. Her in her skirt, flaring up around her ankles while she was dancing exotically with a tambourine in her hand. "After a while, it got boring. We wanted more and we wanted it faster. So we decided to go big. We would go after the crown of the Lost Princess." Wow. Hadn't seen that one coming. I finally looked down to Clerissa. I couldn't think of her in any other way. She looked back at me. And I saw. I saw she had known who I was all along. She knew I had saved that princess. Maybe she had even guessed that I love Her. But I saw something else as well. Finally. I had probably known it all along. But now I could face up to it. I loved Clerissa too. And I was about to lose her, as I had lost Her. At the moment, it didn't even matter if she loved me back or not. I just had to save her. I couldn't lose her as well. I just couldn't.

"I see I struck a note there? Never mind that. You will be rid of her soon enough and you won't have to worry about having journeyed with a wanted thief. Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, we were going to steal the crown. You can imagine this is no easy feat. All the guards to get past unseen, all the locked doors to be opened. Thankfully, security was lax." That was not how I remembered it. But I had stolen the crown, not him. "Alessandra would be on the lookout for trouble, while I would go for the crown. And that's how this began. Because she had struck up a deal without me knowing it. The soldiers had been searching for us quite a while, as it turned out. So she had went to the palace one evening, while I was in some pub. She had negotiated that all her past crimes would be forgiven, in turn for me in prison. That's when she came with her story of wanting more. She set me up to go for the crown. Once I stepped into that room, I was thrown in shackles and hauled off to prison, while she got clean away." That actually was brilliant. Apart from the part where he got out of prison and came after her for revenge. "Eight years I spent in that miserable hellhole. That's when my sentence was up. That's when I got out and immediately came after her. I have been on your trail for quite a while now, so I know you have nothing to do with any of this. I'll have to kill you anyway, because I don't want the word out that Sennet Blackheart is out on the streets again."

_I felt so sorry for Flynn while writing this. He is about to lose the second girl he has ever loved, truly. And there is nothing he can do about it. It's a bit of a dark chapter, but I promise things will start to look up again! Kindly review :)_


	7. Telling A Story

_Hi guys! Here I am again :) It's been a while, I know. And the next chapter will probably take a while as well. I am doing university/college (depends where on where you're from, I guess? I'm a bit hazy on all the details) Hope you will all still stick by me ^^  
><em>_**Disclaimer: All right, let's get this over with. I do not own Tangled.**_

How were we going to get out of this? I certainly didn't see any solution. I couldn't come closer, because he would kill Clerissa. I couldn't go away, because he would kill Clerissa and then come after me. I couldn't do nothing, because then he would kill us both. There was no scenario in which I would be able to keep her alive. Myself, possibly. Not her. And that was not something I would accept. So I had to do something while at the same time I wasn't doing anything. Which basically comes down to stalling. I couldn't keep stalling forever though. At some point he was going to act. I couldn't prevent that, no matter how honed my skills of stalling and persuasion are. This guy was dedicated. Someone else would have to prevent him. Or at least distract him. Only problem being that there was nobody here besides the three of us. Right? No. There was someone actually. If you could call him a someone. I'm talking about Max, obviously. He had to be somewhere nearby. And if I understand him just a little, I suppose he must by now have deduced that we are in danger. He was the palace horse of the Commander of the Guards after all. You don't reach that position easily. So where was he? And how would I communicate with him? And that's when I got it. A combination of what he hated and loved the most should be able to do the trick. Thieves and apples respectively. Here goes.

"Oi, Sennet! Are you saying that you began your career as a lowly apple-thief?" Both Clerissa and Sennet looked at me with puzzled expressions on their face. They both knew that I was planning on some move in order to escape, but this wasn't really what they had expected. Good. Keep it that way.

"What you got up your sleeve, Flynn?" That was Sennet. "It better be nothing, 'cause you know the consequences!"

"I most certainly do. But I don't think the horse does."

"Have you actually gone crazy? What the hell are you talking about? What horse?" I must say, Max has got an incredible feel for timing. And Clerissa was very good at adjusting. Max had heard me and had come back from the woods. Where he probably had been looking for some food. He sneaked up on Blackheart. You know, for as far as a horse can sneak up on anything. When I finished speaking, he reared and kicked Blackheart in his back. To his credit, he immediately whirled around to face this unknown enemy, knife in hand. Except that it wasn't. The moment Clerissa felt Sennet buckle from the kick, she put her hand on the knife at her throat. And when he turned around, so did she. In the opposite direction though, away from him. But the force of both actions made sure that she had the knife. When he noticed that he wasn't armed anymore, she already was on his back. He had no chance. He didn't even get the opportunity to plead for his life before she slit his throat in one fluid movement.

"Whooooa…"

"I know, right? Even I hadn't thought her capable of doing that. But then again, there was still a lot I didn't know about your mother at that moment."

_Reviews are most welcome! I know this is a short one. I intended it to be longer, but I also wanted to give you guys something. Hope you liked it :D_


	8. Together

_Hi peeps! _

_Again, really sorry that it took such a long time. If there still are some of you following me after this long a period, I can only say 'Thank you.' A big thank you to everyone who's been commenting and stuck by me. I hope you like this chapter. It sort of is the end, but it again is the beginning for a next story. The same how I came to this one in the first place. I might do an epilogue and/or a one-chapter spin-off, but not sure when it'll actually happen or if it even will happen. All I can say for now, is: enjoy!_

_**Disclaimer**__: I do not own the rights to Tangled or any of its characters._

"There was still a lot I didn't know about your mother at that moment." That soon changed though. As soon as Sennet dropped lifeless to the ground, Clerissa collapsed on to her knees. I didn't know what to do. Where were we now? Us? Was there an 'us' to speak of in the first place? I saved her life. Indirectly at the very least. She had been lying to me ever since I first laid eyes on her. Was I going to let that come in the way? Of course not. Oh dear. Now her shoulders were shaking, indicating that she is either laughing or crying. As I didn't see any humour in the situation, I went with the last option. As did Max, who was slowly walking towards her, his head at her eye-level. Trying to coax her into looking at him. I should be doing that. Why wasn't I doing that? It felt as if I was rooted to the spot, all I could do was observe. That was when Clerissa finally showed that she was aware of her surroundings. She threw her arms around Max's neck and started sobbing in his mane. As the position was becoming kind of awkward for him to maintain, he went down on his legs and lay next to her. She curled into a ball and manoeuvred herself into the warm curve of his body. Was she going to ignore me from now on? Was that the plan? Well, I most certainly wasn't going to let that happen. Somehow, my feet started to move and I was walking towards the two of them. I lowered myself and lay down on her other side, wrapping my arms around her. At least she acknowledged this, moving so that we were all in a snug position, so maybe there was actually some hope. We never said anything. We just lay like that for the remainder of the night, next to the campfire with the stars above us. And for once, I wasn't going to think about implications. I was going to enjoy it, for as long as it would last. Who knew what the next day would bring.

I must've fallen asleep at some point during the night, because I woke up. It felt like it was going to be a cold day. Then I noticed that I wasn't getting any body warmth from a certain person who was supposed to be lying next to me. Where had she gone off to? Why was there always something up with her? It was getting annoying. In the end I decided to get up as well, mostly to get away from the cold ground and possibly check out what had happened to her this time. She couldn't have wandered off far, her pony was still tethered to a nearby tree. That was good. Max was still here as well. I supposed we would have to get started for Rega Fiore again today, so I started gathering my stuff, which didn't take long. After some internal discussion, I decided to gather her stuff as well. It wasn't as if she could've been hiding any more secrets from me. A different name being a thief, all that. It was still a lot to take in. Come to think about it though, I am not really one to speak. She still doesn't know that I am a thief as well. I'll tell her, as soon as she gets back from whatever she's doing. Wait. Something was missing. Blackheart's body! She must have taken it, but why? More importantly, where? Should I go look for her? Remember! Flynn! Taking control, all that! All right. Being active over passive. That means I have to go look for her. Max would guard our stuff, though it seemed unlikely to me that there could be any more thugs around. When I came to the edge of our patch of grass, I soon noticed her tracks. To put it more precise, Blackheart's tracks, where his feet had been dragged across the forest floor. After having followed it for a while, I started to hear a sort of gurgling sound, as if there was some sort of stream nearby. I soon found it and with it Clerissa. It was a magical place, I would never have expected to have found this in such a dense and dark forest. There was a small waterfall streaming from a fissure in the rock. It feel into a small pond, which overflowed into a pond below it, which flowed into another pond even lower, and so on, until there were no ponds left and it turned into a full waterfall again. The rock was yellow/brownish, not the usual grey tone and the water was clear and came up to around the navel. Clerissa was in one of those pools, seemingly only wearing a small thin dress, nightgown-like. She wasn't standing up though. She was bending through her knees, hugging herself. Her nose was just above the water level, making her hair fan out around her. She didn't seem to actually be doing anything, really. And where was the body? Had she disposed of it? Probably. No matter, that was probably just for the best. More importantly at the moment: what was the code of conduct here? Was I supposed to let her know I was here? Should I go in as well? Should I just keep on staring at her like a creep? I started moving closer on my own accord before I had actually consciously come to a decision. "Clerissa?" She didn't acknowledge that she had heard me, so I moved some closer again. "What are you doing?"

Very quietly: "I killed him." Oh dear. That really sounded like she was in need of some comforting. I started pulling off my clothes, leaving only my underwear on. I went through my knees as well and swung lightly into the same pool she was in.

"Yes. You did." She was still in the same position, with her back to me.

"I mean, I actually killed him." I started moving towards her.

"I know. It's okay. You had to. He was going to kill us both." When I was right behind her I stopped. If she wanted to look at me, she would.

Even quieter than before: "I have never killed someone." I did not know what to say. I couldn't say 'me neither'. It wasn't true. That's what I had to go with. The truth.

"You saved yourself. You saved me. You… You saved us." She whirled around, threw her arms around my neck and before I knew it she was kissing me. Actually kissing me. I had been right. She liked me, at the very least. That was enough for me. As she tangled her hands in my hair I answered the kiss, going deeper into it, hugging her closer to me. Something didn't feel right though. She was going too hard, as if she was looking for something, something I could not give her. Something was wrong. Then she pulled back and looked me directly in the eye.

"Did I really?"

"Of course!"

"No, I'm serious Flynn. Us. Has us been saved?" Flynn. Did she know Flynn? She must. She is … she is Alessandra Meralda, she knows about everybody in the business. Did she know about Eugene? Did she know about Her? I started to see where she was going with this. I put my chin against the top of her forehead, resting it there, liking the feeling. This had to be done with, it had to be over. I had to put Her behind me. I wasn't going to talk about Her, but I could let Her go. So I grasped Clerissa's hands and looked back at her.

"Clerissa. Please. You know who I am. I am Flynn. I might've been someone else for a while, but now I am Flynn. I can't go back to that other life ever again. I am Flynn. I am yours. Please. Please let me be the thief who loves you." She had to have known by now that I love her, but still her eyes wandered away. She was looking down.

"You keep insisting on calling me Clerissa. Why?" I lifted her chin and forced her to look back at me. Only then did I tell her.

"Because I know how important a chosen identity can be to a person. You become it. That's why, to me, you will never be Alessandra. Not really."

"I chose Clerissa over Alessandra. I chose an honest life over thieving. You chose Flynn." She didn't trust me to do the right thing. That was it. How could I make her see. If I could get her to see, to agree to be us, that would be me doing the rightest thing I had ever done. I pulled her close and said into her ear: "I can do the same. I chose Flynn because I knew him. I had to get away from who I had been and Flynn was familiar." I released her a little, but kept my hands on her shoulders. "I can be whoever you want me to be."

"Can you be yourself?" I pulled her even closer than before, hard to myself. She had to know this. Really know it.

"Always. With you, always."

_What do you guys think? Please let me know in the comments!_


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